It is common for a head end system or server, such as a cable provider system, a satellite provider system, or an Internet provider system, to process multiple data streams. For example, a wide variety of head end systems process and transmit multiple video streams. In conventional systems, such as conventional cable systems, one or more data streams are typically grouped or combined together within a given channel, such as a quadrature amplitude modulation (“QAM”) channel. Each QAM channel typically includes a given bandwidth, such as a bandwidth of six megahertz (6 MHz). A certain number of data streams, such as three high definition data streams utilizing MPEG-2 compression, are typically included in the QAM channel.
However, the combination of data streams within a given channel often leads to the capping of data that is transmitted. For example, each of the three data streams included in the QAM channel discussed above may be capped or limited to one-third of the bandwidth for the channel. This capping often leads to the loss or deletion of data from one or more data streams. For example, during a portion of a video data stream that includes a relatively large amount of data (e.g., a scene change, an action scene, etc.), a portion of the data will be cut as a result of the capping. As a result, recipients of the data stream will only receive a portion of the available data. Accordingly, improved systems and methods for combining data streams are desirable.